Sponsored Post Congratulations MamaNini! You won a beautiful coop from Handcrafted Coops!

[JenniO11]

Congratulations @MamaNini! You won! Look for a pm from me in your inbox!

Give us your best BackYard Chicken Related advice and have a chance to win a coop from Handcrafted Coops!

Please read all directions before entering!

Everybody wants their chickens to have the best home possible. If you want to raise a small number of chickens, and especially if you plan to be raising them in a small space, it can be challenging to figure out the best plan for your chickens. That’s why we all come to Backyard Chickens – to share advice, ask questions, and spread the happiness that comes with raising chickens.


We want to encourage all of our members, old and new, to contribute helpful comments and advice to the community. Even if you’re brand new to raising chickens – or if you’re looking into getting chickens for the first time! – you can enter with any insight you’ve had into the whole process of choosing to raise or raising chickens.



Some possible topics:
- How do I find out if it is legal to raise backyard chickens in my city?
- How do I choose a breed of chicken to raise?
- Should I order chicks or hatch myself?
- Will my chickens get along with other animals?
- How can I ensure the best quality eggs?
- And many more!






One of our longtime sponsors, Drew from Handcrafted Coops, is providing a beautiful coop for the winner of our contest.


To Enter:
1) Post your advice as a reply to this thread. Must be between 50-250 words.
2) Go to http://handcraftedcoops.com/contest and fill out your information there.
3) Get excited to read all of the great advice and find out who won!

Please read the Terms and Conditions before entering!


Don't forget to go to the Handcrafted Coops Facebook Page and click "Like"!


All entries MUST be submitted by Feb 29! We'll PM the winners a few days later and announce the results here!

 

[blessedchick]

I'm brand new to being owned by chickens, so all advice is great! The most useful so far has been to teach your chickens to come when called. Find a treat that they adore and only offer it to them after you have called them to you. Use something fun (whistle the "chicken dance", holler out "Pterodactyls!!"...just don't offend the neighbors). This is so useful in making sure that everyone comes into the coop for the night, to call them out of harm's way (circling hawk, rabid dog, husband with a shotgun), or just to impress your friends!

 

[JenniO11]

Thanks for all of your entries - this contest is now closed!

We're all really excited to read your entries! Check back next week to see who won!

- Jenni
BYC Staff

 

[The Chickeneer]

My Best Advice for: Chickens and Egg Laying

​

Have Dark, Private, nest boxes :
Chickens like to lay their eggs in a dark private place, usually where there are other eggs, this is why many people will put fake eggs in their hens nest boxes. If your hens aren't laying in their nest boxes, you could put a few flaps, or pieces of cloth, in front of the nest box to make it a bit more private and dark.
If you ever notice, that you are not getting as much eggs as you used to, the hens might have built a secret nest somewhere in the yard. if you watch were they go around midday-morning, you may be able to find it.
The darkness of the nest box, is also a contributing factor in weather the hen will lay in it or not. When hens make a nest, it will almost always face south, away from the sun and light. If you ever find a hens hidden nest, you will probably notice how well hidden and dark it is, and like I just said, it will almost always face south. Many people have though that a missing hen was eaten by predators, only to find them a few weeks later with a group of chicks following behind her.

If you ever find a hidden nest, and wonder if the eggs are still good to eat : You can either candle them or use the float test the eggs.
If you candle them:
A fresher egg will have a small air sack at the large end of the egg, and an older egg will have a larger air sack. This is because, older eggs have had more time out of the hen, and this gives gas time to build up inside it, enlarging the air sack.
If you do the float test:
All you need to do is fill a big bowl with water, and put the eggs in there. The fresher eggs will sink to the bottom. Older eggs will float a little more, due to the gas build up inside them. As long as part of the egg touches the bottom, it is still safe to eat. If an egg floats all the way to the top, if is old and rotten, and should be discarded. Fresh eggs can last from around three weeks to a month if stored properly. They can last even more, if they are pickled or frozen(do not freeze eggs with their shell, they will expand and the shell will crack making a mess)
Other egg laying comments/ advice:
Young pullets will start to lay at around 6 months, given the right conditions. Their first eggs may be small, mishapen, and may not even have a shell, but once they get into a normal laying routine, they will start laying normal and larger eggs.
Pullets(young hens) lay the most eggs during their fist 3-2 years, after this period of time, they will still lay allot, but as the years go by their laying will eventually die down.
Hens that already have an established laying routine, can be expected to lay 3-5 eggs a week on average. While a young pullets, during their peak of laying, may lay as much as 5-7 eggs a week on average.
If you have 3 hens, you can expect to get 2 eggs most days, 3 eggs some days, during the summer, and either 1 or no eggs during winter.
Hens lay more with the increase of daylight hours. Light triggers something in the hen to lay more, and you can expect more eggs in the spring and summer months. During winter, most pure breeds will have stoped laying because of the decrease of light during the day, while some hybrid egg laying breeds will still lay, but not as much.


I edited it right now just organized it a bit ..... Sorry it's a little long.....does it still qualify? If it doesn't, please tell me so I can edit it a bit to shorten it.

 

[MamaNini]

My best chicken advice? Beware: Chickens are addictive!

You will start with good intentions, do your research, build an original coop of repurposed materials, and even have a goal number of chickens.

-THEN-

All too soon, you will find yourself displaying signs of chicken addiction such as:
- You are still researching chicken information even though your chickens are happy and healthy.
- Your chickens are better trained than some people's dogs.
- You cook extra spaghetti so you'll have leftovers to feed the chickens.
- Your husband will be jealous because the first "person" you go to when you get home is your chickens.
- Your family will think that you are on a health food kick because you serve salad more frequently (when you just want leftover produce to feed the chickens!).
- Your chickens are better behaved than some people's children.
- You will attend chicken swaps to look at chickens, talk chickens, and more than likely buy a few additions for your flock.
- You will build a "better" coop less than 6 months after completing the first one.
- You will find yourself planning a worm farm to produce fresh worms for your chickens.
- Your children will want to show chickens at the county fair which means you'll spend a memorable afternoon washing chickens.
- You will plant a garden for your chickens.
- You will become everyone's new best friend with your fresh, grass fed eggs!!

 

[skillswife]

My best advise for raising backyard chickens is to handle them lots as soon as you get them. This makes egg gathering, coop cleaning, and any other activities where catching or holding your chicken is required, much easier. Chickens have fantastic personalities and its fun to get to know them all. So not only do you have a fun pet with a great personality you have a pet that give you fantastic healthy fresh eggs!

 

[rachelgcfl]

I used to have 20 chickens on a small farm while living with a friend (along with several other birds), and now, living in the city by myself, I am getting 3 chickens. My best advice to someone thinking about chickens is, "Contrary to normal belief, it is not difficult to have chickens. Just GO FOR IT!" It may seem simple, but I think because our culture has become so detached from having farm animals or knowing where our food comes from, people think raising animals, other than dogs or cats, entails a huge amount of time and work, so they never make the leap to just do it. In actuality, it is the same time and effort you afford your dog or cat, plus you get eggs out of the deal. Research, learn, and go get them! Just do it!

 

[PsychoChicken]

My best advice for raising backyard chickens is to do your research first. Luckily, you are in the right place!

Ask yourself these questions before you get chickens:

1. Why do I want chickens?
This is an important question to ask because the answer will help determine the answers to other questions you must ask yourself.

2. Do I have the space in my yard?
Consider where you can put your coop, how inhabitable your landscape is for chickens and what predators are in your area.

3. Do I want to let my chickens free range, keep them contained or get a chicken 'mower'?
Where there are chickens... there is chicken poop.

4. What do I want to feed my chickens?
Organic or conventional? What CAN'T I feed them?

5. How many chickens do I want?
In many places there are limits to the number of hens. Look in to your city ordinances, consider how many eggs you want and think about what you will do with your chickens after they stop laying.

6. Do I want to medicate my chickens?
Chickens get sick. Research the common health problems and be ready to spot symptoms and deal with them. It's a good idea to look into preventative methods to head off trouble in the first place.

7. Will my neighbors tolorate the noise?
I recommend keeping your neighbors happy with egg bribes!

Answering these questions is a good way to prepare yourself for the wonderful world of backyard chickens!

 

[kjmom23]

The best advice I've been given is to be patient, with yourself and your birds. Like any new "parent" you'll make mistakes. You can (and should) research, but some things only come through practical experience. Everything I read said my hens would lay by 6mo. When mine didn't, a wonderful lady encouraged me to give the girls a year. They started laying at 10mo. I would have quit before I started if I had been impatient.

 

[nirvana4me2]

If you are into raising chickens- experienced or new, young and old, commercial or for fun, the best advice for almost any topic is: drumroll please... DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS and that NO question is too silly! As a new chicken "enthusiast", I read about raising chickens (I get mine March 4th!) on a daily basis and I ask my friends who are more experienced questions that may seem silly but have helped me make critical choices on almost any topic from breeds of chickens, to coop construction, to raising chickens. One can never stop learning new things and leaving a question unanswered could lead to a dire mistake!